I'm gonna throw in my vote for sticking to the search for a 2nd gen bird. Even though I bought a 70 Camaro back in 08, I still want 72 Firebird BAD.
Contact Dave Hall at
www.restoreamusclecar.com He can probably shed some light on doing a Firebird. He's got an entire flock at his shop right now and he's the founder of the Bandit Run.